Franco E. Bario Movies
- 2002
Inspired by the essays of humorist W. Bruce Cameron, this ABC sitcom went through a number of title changes before settling on its unwieldy but all-encompassing cognomen. The basic gag here was that John Ritter and Katey Sagal, respectively the randy Jack Tripper on Three's Company and the slatternly Peg Bundy on Married With Children, were now cast against type as the intensely over-protective parents of three teenagers, two girls and a boy. When Cate Hennessy (Sagal) re-entered the workplace, her newspaper columnist husband Paul Hennessy (John Ritter) suddenly found himself in more or less full charge of his daughters, the man-hungry (and barely clothed) Bridget (Kaley Cuoco) and the wise-lipped Kerry (Amy Davidson, who was eerily reminiscent of Roseanne's Sara Gilbert). Agonizing over the girls' choice in beaux and their outrageous outfits (thong and bra jokes abounded on this series), the long-suffering Paul often found himself turning to his (comparatively) level-headed son Rory (Martin Spanjers) for advice (the kids on the series were named after the real-life children of series creator Tracy Gamble). And just for the record, those titular eight rules were as follows: "1: Use your hands on my daughter and you'll lose them after. 2: You make her cry, I make you cry. 3: Safe sex is a myth. Anything you try will be hazardous to your health. 4: Bring her home late, there's no next date. 5: Only delivery men honk. Dates ring the doorbell. Once. 6: No complaining while you're waiting for her. If you're bored, change my oil. 7: If your pants hang off your hips, I'll gladly secure them with my staple gun. 8: Dates must be in crowded public place. You want romance? Read a book." The series began its highly-publicized run on September 17, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Former Seinfeld stalwart Jason Alexander returned to series television as the eponymous star of the ABC sitcom Bob Patterson. On this occasion, Alexander portrayed a high-profiled motivational speaker, author of such best-selling tomes as I Know More Than You Do and I Still Know More Than You. Despite his success in his chosen field -- not to mention the abundance of testimonials from real-life celebrities (endearingly if not always convincingly cast as themselves) -- Bob Patterson was not always successful in carrying over his winning philosophies into his personal life. The series' basic joke was reminiscent of the "physician heal thyself" premise of NBC's Frasier -- which was telecast opposite Bob Patterson on Tuesday nights. Appearing in support of the versatile Jason Alexander (who also wrote several of the scripts) were Robert Klein as Bob's business partner, Landau; Jennifer Aspen as his ex-wife, Janet Patterson; and James Guidice as Bob's lethargic son, Jeffrey. Co-produced by 20th Century Fox and Touchstone Television, Bob Patterson premiered October 2, 2001, its originally September 25 debut date scuttled by ongoing TV coverage of the World Trade Center bombing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Alexander, Robert Klein, (more)
- 2001
The Anglicized spelling of the TV series title Off Centre would seem to suggest a British influence on the property. Indeed, the series chronicled the adventures of two former Oxford University roommates: English investment banker and self-anointed ladies' man, Euan (Sean Maguire), and his nerdish American buddy, Mike (Eddie Kaye Thomas). Sharing the same posh N.Y.C. apartment, Euan and Mike endeavored to attract sexy supermodel types to their lair. The realization of this goal made difficult by Mike's seemingly permanent state of poverty -- not to mention the omnipresence of his steady girlfriend, Liz (Lauren Stamile), and the interference of an assortment of wacky neighbors, chief among them a rap star named Status Quo (Jason Winston George), an amiable fraud who strove long and hard to hide his privileged childhood from his legions of fans. Chris and Paul Weitz of American Pie fame were the guiding creative forces behind this WB Network sitcom, which after relinquishing its original October 7, 2001, debut date to a rerun from another series, finally made its network bow on October 14. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Kaye Thomas, Sean Maguire, (more)
- 2000
In the tradition of Mr. Mom and My Two Dads comes this breathtakingly-original show about an oafish though loveable salesman who quits his job and raises the kids. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anita Barone, Michael Chiklis, (more)
- 1998
This TV sitcom takes the viewer back to the world of leisure suits, smiley-face buttons, and Farrah Fawcett-Majors posters. In 1976 in Point Place, WI, 17-year-old Eric Forman (Topher Grace) tries to wiggle free of his neurotic parents, Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp), in order to connect with his funkedelic friends -- his cute neighbor Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), his best buddy Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), Kelso's girlfriend, Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis), paranoid Steve Hyde (Danny Masterson), and foreign-exchange student Fez (Wilmer Valderrama). Filmed in L.A., the series premiered August 23, 1998, on FOX. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
The first season of That '70s Show largely took place in 1976, though references to Saturday Night Fever and Star Wars in the course of the season's 25 episodes indicated that there had been some incursion into 1977 territory (the series also quietly moved from a Sunday- to a Monday-night slot in mid-season). The action occurred in Point Place, WI, not far from Green Bay. The plots revolved around the exploits of a group of high-school juniors, led by the impulsive Eric Forman (Topher Grace). Usually found hanging out in the Forman basement, Eric's cohorts included his next-door-neighbor, childhood friend, and latterly sweetheart, foxy redhead Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon); his best buds Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), the archetypal "dumb hunk," and Steven Hyde (Danny Masterson), conspiracy theorist supreme; Kelso's spoiled-brat girlfriend, Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis); and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), a naïve and extremely pliable foreign-exchange student. There was also a full complement of grown-ups, foremost among them Eric's dad, Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith), who had a very low opinion of his son's friends and lifestyle, and Eric's mom, Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp), who wasn't quite as ditzy as she seemed (no one could be!). Both of the Formans worked: Red had a factory job which was downsized early in the season, while Kitty was a nurse. Next door to the Formans were Donna's parents, Bob and Midge Pinciotti (Don Stark, Tanya Roberts). Bob owned an appliance store where the semi-laid-off Red was occasionally employed as a clerk, while Midge was a stay-at-home wife and mother who was bored out of her gourd. Seen on a recurring basis was another "older" character, Eric's sister, Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly), a freshman at the University of Wisconsin. As the season progressed, Bob and Midge Pinciotti drifted toward separation and divorce; Hyde's single mom (played in one episode by Katey Sagal) deserted him, prompting the boy to move in with Eric; and Laurie flunked out of school, came home, and tentatively began a sexual relationship with doltish Kelso. Although That '70s Show did not crack the Top 20 ratings-wise during its maiden season, the series was one of the most popular offerings of the Fox network. It also earned an Outstanding Costume Design Emmy award for the entry titled "That Disco Episode." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, (more)
